Little Secrets
by not-the-saviour
Summary: A/U: Tired of life as a bounty hunter Emma moves to Storybrook a small town in Maine, a town that holds many secrets. There she meets Regina, Mayor of Storybrook, and her son Henry, a little trouble maker that reminds her too much of her young self. What kind of secrets does Storybrook hold? Is Emma ready to deal with what she finds? Mobster!Regina Mobster!Mr.Gold. No FTL.
1. Chapter 1

Little Secrets

A/N: This story is completely AU, I took a lot of liberties with the personalisation of the characters, specially with Killian 'Hook' and Graham. This is something new and different from anything I've done before. I do hope you enjoy reading it as much as I am enjoying writing it. Given the fact that this story is slightly more complicated than Blue Valentine, I will be updating once or twice a week. I want to do this right. I hope you join me on this journey!

* * *

Chapter 1:

Life as a bounty hunter was hard, it didn't give any financial stability and it was a constant threat to her life. Emma was getting tired of it. This was not the life she wanted for herself but with a record like the one she had, employment opportunities were rare to come by. So when her childhood friend, August Booth, called saying that there was an opening in the Sheriff's Department and that he could put in a good word for her, she immediately accepted. The prospect of moving away from a big city like Boston to a small town like Storybrook was not that appealing to Emma but given her circumstances she figured that maybe a change would do her some good.

When she arrived to Storybrook she opted to stay at the local bed and breakfast rather than at her friend's one bedroom apartment. It it's true that they were friends since childhood but they each needed their space.

"I'm wondering of you can help me." Emma said to the young waitress that had just served her breakfast. "Where can I find the Sherriff's Station?"

"Oh that's just a couple of blocks away." The waitress said. "Are you new here? I'm Ruby, by the way." Said Ruby offering an upbeat smile.

"Yeah…I'm Emma." She said.

"Nice to meet you, Emma." Ruby said. "If you go down the street and then make a right you'll find the station without problem."

"Thanks, Ruby, here." Emma said taking some money out of her pocket. "This should cover the check, keep the change."

Emma exited the diner and following Ruby's instruction's she found the Sheriff's Station without any problems whatsoever.

* * *

"Um, I'm looking for Sheriff Humbert?" Emma asked hesitantly when she entered the Sheriff's Station and saw a man sitting in a chair with his feet up on a desk.

"You're looking at him." He said removing his feet from the desk. "How can I help you?"

"Do you know a man by the name of August Booth?" She asked.

"August, August, yeah he's one of my mates." The Sherriff said.

"Well he told me that you were looking for a new deputy…" Emma said.

"And you want the position?" He finished the sentence for her.

"Yes." Emma said.

"Oh you're Emma the bounty hunter, right?" He said finally making the connection between this woman and his friend.

"Yeah, that's me." Emma said.

"Great, are you sure you want the job?" The Sherriff asked. "The pay is not that great and the job can get a bit dull at times."

"Dull sounds excellent right now." Emma said with a small chuckle.

"Well if want it, the job is yours." He said.

"Really? Just like that?" Emma asked surprised.

"You'll find that there are not many takers for the job, this is a very small town after all." He said reaching into one of the drawers of his desk. "You'll fill these up," he handled her a few official forms. "And you will show up here tomorrow morning at 7:30 sharp. Welcome to Storybrook, Emma."

"Thank you, Sherriff Humbert." Emma said as she shook his hand.

"Please, call me Graham." He said with a warm smile. "Bring those filled out no later than tomorrow, our Mayor likes to keep tidy records and is best not get on her bad side, she is the boss after all."

"I'll keep that in mind." Said Emma.

* * *

Now that Emma had a job, all she needed was a place to stay. The bed and breakfast was a nice enough place but she would rather find a place she could rent for at least a few months. But reading the real estate section of The Mirror, Storybrook's local newspaper, it seemed as if Emma's luck had ran out. There weren't any places for rent in this town. Emma kept frowning was she re-read the paper hoping that had missed something the first time.

"You alright there?" Ruby asked from behind the counter.

"Yeah…just…looking for a place to rent." Emma said. "But it seems that Storybrook is lacking in that department."

"You're looking for a place to stay?" A voice that came from the corner of the counter caught Emma's attention.

"I am." Emma answered, her attention turning to the kind looking woman who had just spoken to her.

"I happen to be looking for a roommate, I own an apartment just a few blocks away." Said the woman moving to sit next to Emma. "I'm Mary Margaret."

"Emma." She said extending her hand out to Mary Margaret. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise, Emma." Mary Margaret said with a bright smile.

"So about this apartment of yours…." Emma said.

Maybe moving to this town wasn't such a bad decision after all.

* * *

"Have you had a chance to scoop out my new deputy?" Graham said as he entered the Mayor's office. "Hot." He said as he sat down on the corner of the Mayor's desk.

"You do know that the Sheriff's Department has a strong policy about romantic entanglements between co-workers, right?" The Mayor, Regina Mills, said, her focus never leaving the file that was wide opened in front of her.

"No, she's more your type than she is mine…if you know what I mean…" Graham said.

Now this got Regina's attention. She closed the file and turned in her chair sideways to face Graham.

"I'll allow you to elaborate." Regina said reclining back in her chair.

"Knew you'd be interested." Graham said with a triumphant smile.

* * *

After a couple of weeks on the job Emma had gotten the swing of things at work. Sometimes she would be stuck with the night shift for a few nights in a row but she wasn't too bothered by this. She found that she quite liked it in fact. She appreciated the quiet and solitude that Storybrook offered at night, it was a refreshing change from what she was used to.

However today was not one of those days; today she had the morning shift. Storybrook was a ghost town at night but at day it was bustling with people going about their daily tasks. She went into the station very early in the morning to open up and set everything up for the day when she found that it was already opened and that there was someone sitting in her desk.

"Who are you?" The kid asked when Emma approached the desk. He had his arms crossed over his small shoulders and an eyebrow raised. He was giving, what Emma assumed, was a stare down.

"Who are _you_?" Emma asked imitating his stance.

"Henry Mills. Now its your turn to answer my question." Henry said not backing down.

"Henry…she's Emma Swan, the new deputy." Graham said as she rushed out of his office. "Come on, lad, grab your backpack, you're going to be late for school."

"He's your kid?" Emma asked.

"No, no. He's the Mayor's son. She has a meeting and I'm doing her a favor by making sure the kid gets to school and actually stays inside of the school." He said throwing a pointed glare in Henry's direction. "Speaking of which…you have to be at the Town Hall to meet with the Mayor in…" He said looking at his wristwatch. "Fifteen minutes…don't be late." Said the Sheriff as he rushed Henry out of the station.

* * *

"You wanted to see me?" Emma asked hesitantly from the doorway of Regina's office. The Mayor was not at all what she had expected. When she first heard of the Mayor she expected, she didn't know why, but she had expected a Hillary Clinton lookalike or maybe someone like Sarah Palin...the point is that she did not expect someone like Regina Mills. The Mayor was an impeccably dressed woman in her late 30's and incredibly attractive.

"Please, come in." Regina said not moving from her place behind her desk. "Miss Swan, I assume?"

"Mayor Mills, I assume?" Emma said with a wry chuckle as she sat in front of the desk. Emma's lame attempt at a joke was shot down by Regina's stern glare.

"Where is your report?" Regina asked as if bored already by the quick exchange.

"Excuse me?" Emma asked. What in the hell was the Mayor talking about?

"It is my understanding that you have been working the night shift for the past week. I need a report of everything that happened during said shifts." Regina said turning her stare to the stack of papers that covered the most part of her desk.

"Nothing significant happened." Emma answered awkwardly.

"I still need a report stating that nothing significant happened." Regina said.

"But why?" Emma said almost scoffing.

"Miss Swan, do I tell you how to patrol the town or how to apprehend a perp?" Regina asked her eyes penetrating Emma.

"N-No, no you don't." Emma responded.

"Then please do me a favor and do not tell me how to run my town." Regina said moving her focus back to the papers on her desk. "I expect a detailed report in my desk tomorrow morning of everything, significant or otherwise, that happened during your shift this past week. I need to make sure that our tax payers' dollars are being put to good use." She said. After a beat she turned her eyes upwards to see that the new deputy was still sitting there. "You're dismissed."

"I-Uh okay." Emma said as she fumbled to get out of the office.

* * *

Graham was curious as to what Regina thought about their new deputy so when they met for lunch, as per usual, he went straight to the point.

"She's hot, right?" Graham asked wiggling his eyebrows as he held opened the door of the diner for Regina.

"She's nothing spectacular…" Regina said nonchalantly as they sat in their usual booth.

"Oh come on, she's really attractive." Graham said.

"Please don't tell me that you've developed a crush on her." Regina said.

"No…I have my sights set somewhere else." He said as he stared blankly at the entrance of the diner just in case the object of his affections walked by.

"Still obsessed with the boy who works at the docks?" Regina asked. "I hardly find him even remotely attractive."

"He's not a boy, he's a man." Graham defended.

"He wears more eyeliner than I do." Regina argued.

"He's a musician." Graham argued right back. "And you don't find him attractive because you've been blinded by the ladies."

"The fact I find women to be more sexually appealing does not mean that I am indifferent to the male anatomy." Regina said. "I can tell when a man is physically attractive and Jillian is not."

"Killian." Graham corrected. "I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

"It must be." Regina said.

"Mayor Mills can we have a word?" Mr. Gold, owner of half of the town, interrupted their conversation.

"Can't you see that I'm busy?" Regina answered not even making the effort to meet his eyes.

"Madam Mayor…a word…please." He said masking his sternness with politeness.

"I'll be right back." Regina said to Graham before she led Mr. Gold out of the diner.

* * *

After a few minutes Regina was back at the booth looking as unfazed as ever.

"Is everything alright?" Graham asked putting his hand over Regina's.

"Yes." Regina said.

"I ordered for you while you were outside." Graham said offering her a small smile.

"Thank you, dear." Regina said returning his smile.

"Are you sure that you are okay?" He asked once more.

"Quite." Regina said. By her tone, Graham knew that it was time to drop the subject.

* * *

Since her meeting with the Mayor, Emma could not stop thinking about Regina. She was impressed by Regina's intimidating demeanor; she wanted to know everything about this woman that refused to leave her thoughts. So she made a mental note to ask her roommate, who had been living in Storybrook for the most part of her life, about their iconic Mayor.

"Hey, Stanger." August greeted as he entered the station holding two bags of take out from Grannie's. "How's work so far?" He asked as he sat in front of Emma's desk.

"So far so good." Emma answered distracted by all the paperwork that covered her desk.

"Brought you lunch." He said as he dangled one bag of take out in front of Emma.

"You're the best." Emma said taking the bag from August hand. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." He said before he began to eat his lunch.

"Umm what do you know about Mayor Mills?" Emma asked before she took a bite out of her sandwich.

"Uh…she's been mayor since the past two elections, has a son, she's been rumored to have ins with the mafia, she's known amongst the townsfolk as the Evil Queen due to her always cheerful demeanor and she's the only daughter of governor Cora Mills."

"Wow." Emma said as she took a long sip of her drink.

"Yeah…" He said taking another bite of his sandwich. "Why did you ask?"

"Just curious…" Emma said. "She's the reason behind all of this paperwork."

"Another thing you should know about her: she runs a tight ship." August said. "She doesn't fuck around with paperwork, goes postal every time someone misses a deadline."

"I met her kid this morning." Emma said. "Henry…if I remember correctly."

"He's a bit of a handful…" August said. "Actually that may be an understatement. One time he stole Mary Margaret's credit card and ran away. The Sherriff caught him half way to Massachusetts."

"What was he doing in Massachusetts?" Emma asked with a smirk. She had a newfound respect for this kid.

"Looking for his birth mother." August said. "Regina is very strict with her son, maybe he needed an escape."

"So he's adopted." Emma stated the obvious.

"Yeah, rumor has it that Regina's late husband was sterile so they adopted a kid, a few months after Henry came home he died alone in the stables where he worked. People say he died of a heart attack but no one really knows, everything was kept under wraps, some even say some foul play was involved."

"Talk about tragedy…" Emma said processing the information she had just acquired.

"We all have to make do with the cards we're dealt." August said getting back to his lunch.

"Aint that the truth." Emma said.

Everyone had a past; Emma had one she never wanted to be reminded of. Everyone had a reason for being the way that they were. Regina and Henry weren't the exception to that rule. Emma was more determined than ever to discover this town's little secrets.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

* * *

Coming out of Mary Margaret's apartment and into the Sheriff's station Emma could feel that today was going to be a long day. After a few weeks in Storybrook she found that crime was not a common occurrence. The only victim of some type of crime was the guy who worked at the docks. Some teenagers kept vandalizing his boat by spray-painting offensive words on it. Taking on account how the gossip mill moved, she was sure that she was bound to find the perpetrators sooner rather than later.

"Hello, am I interrupting something?" Killian asked as he shyly stepped further into the Station. Killian was a fisherman and part time musician that worked at the docks. He was the guy whose boat kept getting vandalized.

"No, not at all." Emma said straightening up on her chair. "How can I help you? Do you need to file another complaint?"

"No, no. I- I brought you coffee." Killian said handing Emma a cup of lukewarm coffee from Grannie's. "I don't know how you take your coffee so I asked Ruby, I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all." Emma said with a smile. "Thank you, but you do know its illegal for me to accept bribes of any kind, right?" Emma said half-joking.

"This isn't a bribe at all." Killian said. "I just wanted to say thank you for all of your hard work. No one ever takes me seriously in this town; you treated me with kindness and respect. I wanted to show my appreciation." Killian said, his gazed fixed on his hands. "I-I'll be out of your hair now, I'm sure you have a busy day ahead of you, what with all the police business and everything." He said with a nervous chuckle as he stumbled with a chair that was in front of him. "Have a good day."

"You too!" Emma yelled after Killian.

Killian Jones was one of Storybrook's most unique citizens. He looked like a total misfit and was treated by the townsfolk as such. Emma knew how it felt like to be the outsider, to not belong. Killian's words made her day; it was good to know that her actions had a positive effect on people. It was all about the little things, she figured.

* * *

Emma was still relatively new in town and, other than Mary Margaret, she hadn't made any friends of her own. After work she went to meet August at the diner like it had become a habit. It seemed as if her friend had a thing for Ruby the waitress. Of course Emma never commented on it, it was very rare for Emma and August to comment on each other's love life. Still the longing glances, the big tips and the holding doors open from August to Ruby did not go unnoticed by Emma.

Ruby on her part loved whenever Emma came into the diner. The new deputy always had stories to share about her time on the road chasing after fugitives from the law. She loved hearing about Emma's adventures. Ruby had always wanted to travel and experience real freedom, however she knew that her aging grandmother needed her the most, even if Grannie refused to say it out loud, she was getting old and, sooner rather than later, Ruby would be left to run the business all by herself.

"Thanks, Ruby, but I didn't order this." Emma said when Ruby approached her with a cup of hot cocoa.

"I know, Guy-liner said to give you this when you came in after your shift." Ruby said.

"Ruby...please don't call him that." Emma groaned at the nickname. "He's a really sensitive guy."

"I say it out of love and affection. He knows that." Ruby said.

"Yeah but could you lay off with the nicknames for a while?" Emma asked. "And could you also tell everyone to ease off of him for a little bit? I'm trying to find out who has been spray-painting his boat."

"Oh...you mean the Jolly Roger? That happens every week." Ruby said. "When we were in grade school it was his bike that got trashed every week."

"Yeah, well that's stopping now. People can't go around messing with other people's stuff. Its not right." Emma said. "Do you know who is messing with him?"

"Uhh just about everyone in town?" Ruby asked. "He's kind of a pretentious jackass, no one likes him."

"Ruby..." Emma said giving the waitress a pointed glare.

"I'm not telling you search behind the bleachers at the basketball court...but search behind the bleachers behind the basketball court." Ruby said.

"Thanks, Rubes. I really appreciate that." Emma said.

* * *

Emma having a chat with the kids that hanged around the bleachers solved, at least tentatively, the problem Killian had. The rest of the week rolled without any other incident. Monday night was Emma's turn to take the night shift. She sat idly inside the Station until she couldn't take it any more. Boredom was killing her. She was used to risking her life chasing after criminals, she was not used to sitting on her ass all night whilst eating bear claws. It was with this thought that she decided to patrol around town. After making rounds a couple of times she went to explore the town a little bit further. She had heard Ruby and August speculate about alleged illegal activities taking place inside the abandoned mines. She figured that a look couldn't hurt.

She got out of her car and walked aimlessly around for a little bit. A flick of light coming from inside one of the mines caught her attention so she walked over to where she thought she saw the light. Emma stood in front of the entrance debating with herself. She knew she should probably check it out but another part of her knew that entering an abandoned mine, at night and unprepared was not a very sane idea.

She was lost in thought when she felt a foreign hand on her shoulder. Yelping and jumping she turned around.

"I would't advise going in there, dearie." A man she had never met before told her.

"...And you are?" Emma asked as she tried to pull herself together.

"I believe with haven't had the pleasure." He said with a grin that made his gold tooth reflect the moonlight. "The name's Gold."

"I'm Emma the..." Emma said but was quickly interrupted.

"The new deputy." Mr. Gold finished for her. "You should know that this ruins are very dangerous, I wouldn't risk going in there at this time of night."

"I wasn't planning on it." Emma said under her breath. "What are you doing here?" She asked with a hint of suspicion.

"Oh just taking a late night stroll, being one with nature and all that." Mr. Gold said. "But it looks like its about to rain so it might be best for the both of us to be on our way."

"Yeah, you might be right about that." Emma said after she extended her hand out and felt a few drops of very light rain.

"Shall I walk you to your car?" He asked.

"That wont be necessary." Emma said as she started to walk away.

"Have a good evening." Mr. Gold called after Emma's retreating form.

"You too." Emma said too quietly for Gold to hear.

* * *

After making sure that Henry made it safely to school, Regina went directly to her office. Work kept piling up. She needed to find a suitable replacement for her assistant, Gabriel had quit a few days ago and he left quite a mess behind him. She had her mayoral work to deal with and on top of everything else she had to deal with the business affairs she had with Gold.

"Sidney, what do we know about the new deputy?" Regina asked Sidney Glass, the Editor in Chief of Storybrook's local newspaper: The Mirror. It was usual for Sidney to be seen around Regina's office. It was rumored around town that Regina had to pre-approve the news that made it into the paper.

Upon hearing the question Sidney quickly pulled out a notepad from the breast-pocket of his jacket.

"She comes from Boston, is long-time friend of August Booth, has an affinity for bear-claws and hot cocoa." He said as he put the notepad back into his pocket.

"That's all?" Regina asked unimpressed.

"For now." Sidney said loathing the look of disappointment coming from Regina.

"Find out more information. What you just told me is of no use to me." Regina said.

"...What type of information are you looking for exactly, Madam Mayor?" Sidney asked.

"Everything." Regina said with a sigh. "Where was she born? Who are her parent? Is she close to them? Does she have a husband, a boyfriend or perhaps a girlfriend? Does she have any children? What was her last place of employment? God, Sidney, do I have to do everything myself?" Regina said letting out an exhausted breath.

"No, Madam Mayor." Sidney said.

"Good. Now go do your job." Regina said with a dismissive hand gesture.

* * *

Emma was trying to concentrate on finishing the reports that were due tomorrow. She was sure that if they weren't in Regina's office first thing in the morning there would be hell to pay. It had all been going fairly well until Henry came into the Station. Graham said to please keep an eye on him and that he would be right back...that was two hours ago.

Henry was bored out of his mind. Usually when he was stuck at the Station, Graham would take him on patrol with him. He hated being stuck with nothing to do, he would have brought his comics with him but his mom was in a hurry this morning so he forgot them at home.

"You're gonna get dizzy if you keep that up." Emma said to Henry when she saw him out of the corner of her eye spinning on a chair.

"I'm bored." Henry said.

"What are you even doing here?" Emma asked.

"I'm waiting for my mom." Henry mumbled.

"I didn't know that the Sheriff's Station was also a day care center." Emma said under her breath.

"I'm not a baby and you're not babysitting me." Henry said feeling slightly offended. "I hang out her because I'm going to be Sheriff one day."

"Of course you are." Emma said as she kept doing her paperwork. "Don't you want to be Mayor like your mom?"

"No..." Henry said.

After a beat.

"Your mom might take a while to come by...why don't you go hang out with your friends?" Emma asked taking pity on the poor boy.

"Cause I don't have any." Henry said in an almost unintelligible manner. "I'm what you call a lone wolf. Mom says its because I'm too special and that makes the other kids jealous."

Henry's comment about not having any friends and being a lone wolf hit Emma in a strange way. Emma didn't take too much time to reflect on that. Some things were better left untouched.

"She's your mom, kid. She's supposed to say shit like that." Emma said.

"Does your mom say sh...stuff like that too?" Henry asked.

"No." Emma said making a pause. "I don't have a mom."

"Oh...that's sucks." Henry said unsure as to what would be the appropriate response.

"Yeah but I also don't have a bed time and I can eat all the candy I want so that kinda makes up for it." Emma said.

"I guess." Henry said. "Do you have any kids?"

Emma took a second to respond to that question.

"No. I don't have any kids." Emma decided to say.

"Why not?" Henry asked.

"Because I don't like children." Emma said.

"Fair enough." Henry said with a shrug. "Are you married?"

"No." Emma said. "Are you always this chatty?"

"I have an inquisitive mind." He said.

"Did your mom also tell you that?" Emma asked.

"...No..." Henry said not meeting Emma's eyes.

"Do you even know what inquisitive means?" Emma asked.

"Yeah, it means curious, I looked it up." He said.

"Of course you did." Emma said with an amused smile.

* * *

"Let me play, I want to play." Henry said as she stood over Emma's shoulders.

"No. Wait for your turn." Emma said.

"You said that ages ago." Henry said. "It's my turn now."

"Ugh fine, fine." Emma said handing her phone to Henry. "Try not to fuck up my stats." She said as she moved so that Henry could sit on her chair and she could look over his shoulder.

"You said a bad word." Henry pointed out as he turned his head around so he could meet her eyes.

"Whatever, I'm sure you've heard much worse." Emma said.

"Not really." Henry said his eyes focusing on the game.

"You're doing that wrong, kid. You're gonna lose." Emma said.

"No, I'm not." Henry said.

"Yes, you are." Emma said.

"Buzz off, Emma." He said.

"Are the children done playing?" Regina said after a few seconds of staring at their childish bickering.

"Oh, hi, mom." Henry said setting the phone on the desk so he could go greet his mother with a hug.

"Miss Swan, hard at work I see." Regina said putting her hands on Henry's shoulders.

"I was just..." Emma said.

"Are the reports I asked for ready yet?" Regina asked not having time for Emma's excuses.

"I can't write reports and watch your kid at the same time, Madam Mayor." Emma said.

"Where's the Sheriff?" Regina asked completely ignoring Emma's observation.

"I don't know...at the docks I think?" Emma said unsure.

"Very well." Regina said. "Henry: say 'thank you' to Miss Swan."

"Thanks for playing games with me, Emma." He said with a big toothy smile.

* * *

Regina felt guilty for leaving Henry to his own devices for most of the afternoon. There were some pressing matters down at the mines that she couldn't postpone, not with Gold constantly breathing down her neck. She was a woman that got things done, she hoped Henry understood that.

"How was your day, dear?" Regina asked as they got inside of her car.

"At first it was boring but then I made friends with Emma and things got better." He said as she fastened his seatbelt.

"You need to make friends under the age of 30." Regina said as she drove away from the Station.

"Emma's 28." Henry said.

"I was thinking about someone about 18 years younger than her." Regina said with a chuckle.

"Well Emma has no kids and she doesn't have a mom either. She's new in town and I think that maybe she feels lonely, like I feel sometimes." Henry said.

"You do have a mother, Henry." Regina said.

"I know, but you work a lot so I'm by myself most of the time." Henry said. "I was thinking about inviting Emma to my fort. I think she'll like it."

"Be careful, dear, you're so handsome you might make Emma's boyfriend jealous." Regina said.

"Oh Emma doesn't have a boyfriend." Henry said. "Hey, maybe Graham could be her boyfriend. He doesn't have a girlfriend."

"Honey, I don't think Graham wants a girlfriend." Regina said after she let out a long laugh.

"Why not?" He asked confused.

"Well there are some men that prefer other men romantically." Regina said.

"You mean like they want a boyfriend and not a girlfriend?" Henry asked.

"Yes. It's exactly like that." Regina said.

The rest of the ride home was silent. Regina thought it best if she let Henry alone with his own thoughts, she figured that if he had any further questions he would go to her for answers.

"Do you think Emma wants a girlfriend instead of a boyfriend?" Henry asked when they arrived home.

"Thats something very personal, Henry." Regina said. "Its best if we don't speculate about people's personal lives."

"Do you think I should ask her?" He asked.

"No, thats not proper." Regina said. "Some people prefer to keep that part of their lives to themselves and that is a decision we must respect."

"Okay." Henry said. "I understand."

"That is because you are a bright young man." Regina said before she kissed his cheek.

"Ma..." He said wiping his cheek with the sleeve of his shirt.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

A/N: I know this update is super late and the chapter this shorter than usual but I've been super busy. To make up for it there is a new chapter coming in a few days. I hope you like this chapter.

* * *

Very early in the morning Regina walked into her office only to find Sidney already waiting for her with coffee in hand. He looked nervous, but he always did in her presence. It wasn't a secret for anyone in Storybrook that Sidney Glass was madly in love with the Mayor. Regina was particularly aware of this fact and she used it to her advantage.

"Good morning, Madam Mayor." Sidney said as he handed Regina a cup of coffee. "Its just how you like it."

"Thank you." Regina said sitting behind her desk as if it was a throne.

"I did what you asked and got a more information on Emma Swan." Sidney said taking out his note pad. "Its not much but-"

"You're too late, Sidney." Regina said leaning back on her chair. "My ten-year-old, in just a couple of hours, found out more than you could in a few days."

This made Sidney stop. "_That little shit._" He thought. He wanted to be Regina's hero, her knight in shining armor, the man she could always rely on. He was supposed to be the savior, not Henry, not anyone else but him.

"You are dismissed, Mr. Glass." Regina said annoyed. If Sidney didn't have any useful information, then he was a waste of time.

From previous encounters similar to this one, Sidney knew that arguing with Regina was pointless so he decided to walk out of the office in silence. He made it his personal mission to discover every single dirty little secret belonging to Emma Swan.

* * *

It had been a smooth day at work for Regina, something she very much appreciated. She made it out of her office early enough for her to make a trip to the grocery store before she had to go pick up Henry at the station.

Regina took her time at the grocery store, she bought healthy snacks for herself and for Henry's lunches. She always without fail packed Henry a healthy lunch. She wasn't one for trusting the school cafeteria with nutrition of her son. As she walked through the different aisles, she thought of her late husband. At times like this she missed him terribly. She let her mind wonder about what life with Daniel and Henry would have been like. She loved being Henry's mother but she could use some help.

Coming out of the store, Regina struggled to carry the bags at the same time as she tried to open the trunk of her car.

"You look like you could use some help." Emma said from behind Regina, making her jump and drop her keys.

"Do you plan on giving me said help?" Regina asked irritated.

"Sure." Emma said reaching out for Regina's bags. "Gimme that."

Regina handed Emma the bags before she crouched down to pick up her keys.

"Nice." Emma said.

"Excuse me?" Regina said ready to slap Emma. She did not appreciate being ogled and objectified in such a way.

"I-uh I meant the ice cream." Emma said. "I like ice cream. I wasn't looking at your ass." Emma quickly defended.

"Of course you weren't." Regina said with a scoff. It was obvious that the deputy was staring at her ass, why would't she? Regina was in great shape if she did said so herself.

"Don't flatter yourself. You're not even my type, lady." Emma said just to get a rise out of Regina.

"Trust me, you are not my type either." As soon as those words came out of her mouth her eyes noticed how toned Emma's arms were. The tank top Emma was wearing gave her a nice cleavage as well. Regina admitted to herself that the new deputy wasn't bad looking and perhaps even a bit attractive.

"You sure about that?" Emma asked with a smirk.

"Certain." Regina said with a roll of her eyes before she turned her back to Emma so she could open the trunk.

"You're welcome, by the way." Emma said after she put the bags inside the trunk.

"Thank you, Miss Swan." Regina said. "You have been so very helpful."

"I'm always happy to lend a hand." Emma said with a grin.

"I'm sure you are." Regina said.

"Say Hi to Henry for me, will you?" Emma asked.

"I'll past that along." Regina said.

"Have a good evening, Madam Mayor." Emma said with a smirk.

"You too, Deputy Swan." Regina said.

* * *

Graham was on his way to bring Regina lunch from Grannie's, before he could open the door to her office Sidney opened the door and stormed out of the office with such force that Graham almost dropped the bags he was carrying.

"That man gives me the creeps." Graham said to Regina. "I don't know understand why on Earth would you keep him around."

"He's a means to an end, dear." Regina said. "Did you bring me lunch?"

"Yes, your Majesty." Graham said as he handed her a take out bag.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, neither one of them bothered by the deafening silence. The good thing about being intimate friends with someone, Graham thought, was that you could sit in silence without it being force to make conversation.

"I saw Killian today." Graham said before he reached for his soda.

"And this concerns me how...?" Regina asked.

"Oh I don't know. I thought that you, my friend, would me interested in what happens in my love life." Graham said.

"What love life?" Regina asked. "Pining over a man who barely even knows you exist can hardly be called a love life."

"Yeah? Well what about you?" Graham asked. "When was the last time you got some?"

"That's...irrelevant to our current conversation." Regina said fidgeting with her fork.

"Is it?" Graham said and Regina refused to give him an answer. "Why don't you go out with Emma? Did you know she is single? I thought she might have had a thing for Ruby but turns out they are just really good friends." Regina stayed in silence. "Henry is quite taken with her."

"I'm aware." Regina said. "He's always talking about her like she's some kind of hero." She said with a lingering bitterness in her tone.

"Then why don't you take her somewhere? Give her a nice night out in the town?" Graham asked. "She's free this Saturday night."

"I'm not attracted to her." Regina said simply.

"Not even a little bit attracted? Not even a tiny, tiny bit?" Graham asked.

"She is not awful looking." Regina said considering the thought for a second. "But that doesn't mean that I want to jump into bed with her."

"Well do you? Want to jump into bed with her?" Graham asked.

"Shut up." Regina said.

"I'll take that as a yes." Graham whispered.

* * *

"Funny running into you again." Emma said as she jogged over to Regina.

"I work here." Regina said looking over to her side and taking in Emma's appearance. "What are you wearing?"

"Work out clothes." Emma said significantly slowing down her pace so she could half-jog next to Regina.

"Well its downright indecent if you ask me." Regina said her eyes lingering a little too long on Emma's exposed abs and legs.

"You really need to re-open the track at the park." Emma said. "Henry told me that it has remained closed since that storm a few years ago. You need to fix that."

"I'll make sure to bring it up at the next council meeting." Regina said.

"Please do." Emma said as she kept jogging next to Regina.

"Do you need something else?" Regina asked.

"Not really." Emma said with a shrug. "Just making sure you're not rob on your way to your car."

"This is the safest town in Maine, Miss Swan." Regina said.

"I know." Emma said. "I work for the Sheriff's Department."

Regina ignored Emma's comment and kept walking in silence, the usually short walk from her office to her car felt like an eternity. Emma jogged next to Regina in silence until they reached the Mayor's car.

"Lemme get that for you." Emma said as she opened the car door for Regina.

"Thank you, deputy." Regina said.

"You're very welcome, Madam Mayor." Emma said. "Hey-"

When Emma had first seen Regina exit Town Hall, her intention had been to ask her out on a date. She had been thinking about the idea through out the day. What was the worst that could happen? Regina could say no leaving Emma with a bruised ego, that was about the worst that could happen.

"Yes?" Regina asked impatiently, all she wanted to do was get home to spend some time with her son. Was that too much to ask?

"Nothing. Have a good evening." Emma said before she started running in the other direction.

Regina stared at the retreating form of Emma Swan. She had to admit to herself that the new deputy was quite attractive, she also seemed to be polite even if a bit irritating. There was something about her that intrigued Regina. She made a mental note to get Sidney to get more information on Emma Swan.

* * *

There was a knock on the door that disturbed the quiet tranquil of Regina's house. It was way past Henry's bed time so Regina rushed to the door before the person behind it decided to knock again and wake up the sleeping boy. When she opened the door she asked herself why did she let herself get surprised.

"Gold." Regina said. "Kind of late for a social visit, don't you think?"

Mr. Gold forced the door wider with his cane before he let himself inside the house.

"We both know what I'm here for." He said as she held tighter the cane on his hand.

"I'm afraid I don't know what are you talking about." Regina said.

"Your mother and I made a deal, dearie." Mr. Gold said. "Both the docks and the mines are mine to work in. Out of the goodness of my heart I offered to cut you in, I've been fulfilling my part of the deal, why haven't you?"

"I'm aware of your relationship with my mother." Regina said with distaste in her mouth. "Our deal is that I will turn a blind eye to your...shall we say 'trades' and I have not been interfering with your business, I don't see how I'm not fulfilling my end of the deal."

"Your new deputy has been spending quite some time around the docks. She's been asking far too many questions." Mr. Gold said. "Take care of her before I see myself being forced to take action on the matter." He limped his way over to the front door. "Have a good night, Madam Mayor." He said with a sneer before he slammed the door.


End file.
